Dedicated to the Gals, but Pass It On Guys!

Please pass this along to all your women friends and relatives to remind them just
how amazing they are.

One Flaw In Women-

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Thanks for reading.
TOTAL MILES: 4 Recovery

Cutback Week: Tempo Run Day

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood...
So sunny out, not a rain cloud in sight. Chilly but otherwise lovely day, and perfect for running.

After a nice rest day yesterday I'm heading out to do 2 x 4 miles at a Tempo pace. I'll keep recovery down to 2-3 minutes. I'm looking forward to getting these legs moving fast. I'll report back later on how the workout went.

HERE'S THE WORKOUT:
1 mile warm up jog
4 miles @ 7:31 pace
2 minute recovery walk
4 miles @ 7:30 pace
1 mile cool down jog

Here's the bugs that stuck with me on my run.

Time to jump in the pool for 15 minutes of freezing.
TOTAL MILES: 10

Rain Rain...nice to see you!

We've needed rain badly so I won't complain while it's here. I'm just glad today is a rest day and I don't have to run in it.

I did CrossFit today. I was going to skip it until I saw it was named after "Josh," a soldier recently killed in Iraq. In memory of Josh I did a scaled down version:
21 Overhead Squats w/ 20# weight
30 Push-ups (was supposed to be pull-ups but it's raining on my pull up bar outside).
15 Overhead Squats w/ 20#
20 Push-ups
9 Overhead Squats w/ 20#
10 Push-ups
Finished with 3 sets of 15 sit-ups and 3 sets of 10 back extensions (alternating).
I completed all of it in under 15 minutes. It wore me out!

Afterwards the kids and I played the Sponge Bob Square Pants version of Life. We love that game! My son was the big moneymaker, and my daughter was a pretty close second. I was broke when I finished!
Figures.

Have a great night all. Sleep well.

Long Steady Distance Day & The BLUES

Oh man, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Ask my husband! I was a crusty crab all through breakfast. Coffee was no help, again. After breakfast I felt so blah, I didn't want to move. I laid on the couch and crashed out for a little bit. When I woke up I felt much better. I suddenly got the fire in my belly to run the 20 miles scheduled for today. It was raining out so I resigned myself to doing it all on the treadmill at the gym. I survived it only because I had a headset.

I ran the 20 miles in 2:55:48 for an overall pace of 8:47. Miles 1-10 were done at an avg pace of 8:54. Miles 11-15 were done on the hill program with 15 minutes total uphill time at an avg pace of 9:00. I alternated hills with flats every other minute. The last 5 miles were done w/ 0 incline at an avg 8:27 pace. (My last 2 miles were done at an 8:05 pace). I cooled down with a quarter mile jog/walk.

At 2.5 miles I suddenly began crying, on the treadmill! I don't know what happened but I was overcome with emotion and sadness. People just looked at me like, "What the hell?" I said some prayers for God to get me through whatever it was I was feeling, and He heard me. I felt better by the time I got to Mile 3.

I was so glad when the run was over. I almost jumped up and down like Rocky, but decided that crying during my run already freaked everybody out enough.

After I got home I soaked in the cold pool again. Always so refreshing (said with a touch of sarcasm). Now time to relax with the family.

Here's a picture of the medal from yesterday's race. I thought it was neat because instead of using a traditional ribbon, they used a shoelace! :)

TOTAL MILES: 20.25
WEEKLY MILES: 45.95

8K Race Report

Yaaaay! I'm home and with the family.
What a great race. Perfect weather (about 43-degrees at race time), sunny, very light winds.
I was able to warm up for 10-12 minutes prior to the race. Jogged until I started to break a light sweat, and finished the warm up with a few strides at race pace. I knew what I wanted my splits to be (7:10s or less), and I felt nice, warm and ready!

At the start line, a nice lady fell in next to me and commented on the running skirt! We chit chatted for a minute or two until the gun. Surprisingly the beginning pace felt almost slow! I thought, "Okay, I'll go with it and just adjust from mile 1."

The nice lady established her pace in front of me and by mile 1 I knew I wouldn't keep up with her. Everybody was so supportive as they ran. They'd comment as I came up to them or as they came up to me. "Good pace. Nice job." etc. etc. I felt GREAT! No lactic acid.

Mile 1: 6:54. I thought, "Not feelin' bad. I'll go with it."

Kept trucking along. A couple of high school XC runners passed me. No problem. I still felt good. Light winds. Not enough to suck my wind outta me though.

Mile 2: unknown (missed the marker that was chalked on the road).

We turned onto a long road that seemed never ending. Still light winds. Felt so great. I passed 3 runners. I don't think they liked being passed by a chick in a skirt.

Mile 3: 21:14. Woo woo! I was thanking God for this great energy. I knew I'd meet my goal of 35-36 minutes.

We finally turned off that neverending road and I passed 2 more runners. Up ahead I see a man pull off to the side and vomit. As I reached him, I asked if he was ok and did he need help. He said he was okay and that he didn't need help.
I ran on.

Mile 4: 28:17. YES! At this point I said, "Pick it up, about a mile left. Suck it up and go." I felt really good and picked up the pace. I passed 4 runners, including a guy wearing what looked like a wetsuit! He was not happy to see me come up beside him. I urged him, "C'mon, you can do it."

I ran as hard as I could and I could hear my breath getting labored. But my body felt strong. I had 2 runners right in front of me and my goal was to catch them. I stuck with them until the last turn onto the straight-a-way. The two of them were racing each other and so they dueled it out to the end. I came in 4 seconds behind them. RATS!

My watch's finish time: 34:46 (6:59 pace)
The overhead clock said: 34:47
I'm taking my watch time.

Overall Stats:
15th out of 170 runners
2nd Female finisher behind the nice lady (she finished in 33:48)
1st in Age Group 30-39.

I was so elated! That more than made up for my shoddy 5K last month. Of course I expressed my gratitude to God after the race. I thought of Jenny, another runner who just found out she has Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma, and prayed that she was feeling okay after her first 2 days of chemo.

I'm going to rest and eat, hang with the family, and do a recovery 5 miler later, then 20 miles tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and thanks for the well wishes!!!
TOTAL MILES: 7.5 (includes warm up and cool down)

Pottery Barn Cover Girl

Did CrossFit yesterday and feeling a little tight this morning. I hope to loosen up some more as the day goes by.

Got a scheduled rest day today prior to my 8K race tomorrow. I started it with some delicious coffee and a soft, gooey cranberry orange scone. YUM! We're going to hang out with the kids and probably do a little shopping later.

I wanted to share this picture of my niece who made the cover of Pottery Barn Kids Easter issue. She's the one on the right with braids. A very sweet little girl who loves her cousins!



My brother and his family are elated, and we're proud of her too! :)

Cross Fit & Race Prep Running

It's raining hard outside this morning. What a switch from yesterday. I'll be heading to the treadmill for today's run. I'll run about 6 miles at an easy pace and throw in some 100 meter strides for good measure. I'm running a race this weekend and don't want to fry my legs with a speed workout today.

I'll also be doing my much loved CrossFit workout of the day.
For time:
30 hand stand pushups
10 pull-ups (I'll do "jumping" pull-ups)
20 hand stand pushups
20 pull-ups
10 hand stand pushups
30 pull-ups

I will also get to teach my son's class the JustRun program again. I can't wait to see them all run. I'll teach my daughter's class tomorrow.
For the most part it will be a relaxing day with hubby, baking some cookies later and watching American Idol results tonight.

Enjoy!

Update: Caught a break in the rain and got to run outside.
TOTAL MILES: 5.45

Late Addition or is it Edition? :-)

The baby and I went out for a recovery 4 mile run today after his lunch and it was gorgeous. The sun was shining and it warmed my back as I ran. Oh man, I love days like this. The sky was so blue with a bunch of those pre-rain type clouds scattered throughout. Everybody was outside with their kids or mowing lawns, and so on. I found myself thanking God the entire time! It was just too special. I think part of the secret in enjoying this run so much was that I LEFT MY WATCH AT HOME! I didn't worry about speed or anything. I just enjoyed running for the sake of running and was blessed with beautiful weather. I will sleep so well tonight!
TOTAL MILES: 4

Yesterday's Speed Session Before Work

I just woke up after 3-1/2 hours sleep. I hope to nap twice today when the baby sleeps because hubby is working today and kids are at school. I AM EXHAUSTED. Long night at work last night, but not as crazy as expected, thank God. Home in one piece and that's what the goal always is.

Prior to work yesterday I ran the track intervals. My goal was to stick as close as possible to the McMillan pacing calculator recommendations for me based on my recent 5K finish time of 22:19. I also cut my recovery periods between intervals down by 1 minute. There's a lot of numbers involved so be patient, but the workout went like this:

Warm Up:
1 mile jog to track
4 x 100 strides
1st set of 2 x 1-Mile Repeats at Cruise Interval Pace:
7:00 (goal was 7:23, so, too fast)
1:00 walking recovery
6:48 (goal was 7:23, so, too fast)
2:00 walking recovery
4 x 800 Repeats at Speed Interval Pace:
3:17 (goal was 3:20, so, close enough)
2:00 walking recovery
3:21 (goal was 3:20, so, close enough)
2:00 walking recovery
3:21 (close enough to 3:20)
2:00 walking recovery
3:18 (close enough to 3:20)
2:00 walking recovery
2nd set of 2 x 1-Mile Repeats at Cruise Interval Pace
7:08 (still kinda too fast)
1:00 walking recovery
7:10 (still kinda too fast)
Cool Down: 1 Mile recovery jog home

Cruise Intervals are run close to a tempo pace with no more than 1 minute recovery between.
Speed Intervals are run close to "all-out" with the recovery time being equal to the time it takes to complete the interval. For this workout I cut that recovery time down to 2-minutes.

I felt good and strong. I just want to be able to sustain those kinds of paces in an actual race. I might be able to in a 5K or 10K, but probably not in a marathon.

I'm going to rest today and if I feel okay after a couple of naps, we may venture out for a 4 mile recovery run.

YESTERDAY'S TOTAL MILES: 8.75

Mike's Fire

The other night, Mike's station got a big fire. I was amazed at some of the pictures. Overall about 80 firefighters were there to finally get it under control. For about two hours during the blaze, Mike said every single one of the 80 firefighters was actively working the fire. After that two hour point, they were able to rotate in some breaks, except Mike's crew. They worked the fire straight through. Someone forgot to break them. He was one tired (but happy) man yesterday!

Today was a rest day from running, so I did what I could for the CrossFit workout. I did 4 sets of 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 30 sit-ups and 40 squats, with 3 minutes rest between each set (not each exercise). I made some modifications for the pull ups. You know what, it took me 25 minutes and some odd seconds to complete the exercises and when I was done I felt like I had run a freaking race. Something about working the core muscle groups gets me every time. I obviously need to work on that more for overall strength.

Back to running tomorrow, then I get to go have fun in uniform for Fat Tuesday.

Sunday Long Run Day

Yesterday I rested from running, but worked my booty off cleaning the house. By the end of the day I was sore! At least the house is clean and I love that.

Today was clearly a day that I needed God's guidance from the moment I woke up. I must have missed my husband, who wasn't yet home from work. I was cranky and short tempered and not even coffee helped. It was just one of those mornings when the thought of running 18 miles alone was NOT AT ALL appealing. But I knew I had to get it done and I knew I was NOT going to flake out on my run.

After hubby came home and the baby was down for a nap, the kids settled into a movie and I took off on my run. The first 4 miles were just difficult mentally. I knew I had to get into some kind of groove or I'd never make it 18 miles. I started to feel warm at about the 2nd mile. By mile 3 I was enjoying the scenery along the canal bank and the orchards. The sky turned blue and I could hear the crowds at the sports complex yelling for the soccer players. I was finally getting into my groove. A few prayers said on the run definitely helped. I decided that I'd start slow and pick up the pace with each 4 mile segment, and then go by how I was feeling. For mile 17 I'd start to slow down and then I'd use mile 18 as a recovery.

I looked at my watch every 4 miles. Here's how the run panned out:
Miles 1-4: 38:27/ 9:36 pace
Miles 5-8: 36:22/ 9:05 pace
Miles 9-12: 34:56/ 8:43 pace
Miles 12-16: 32:57/ 8:14 pace
Mile 17: 8:38 pace
Mile 18: used as recovery at 9:48 pace
Thanks to my sweet husband who figured out my 4 mile splits for me!

As soon as I got home, I stood in the pool for 10 minutes. Mikey took this picture. I was so cold when I got out I had goose bumps.

Time to EAT! I'm starving.
TOTAL MILES: 18
WEEKLY TOTAL: 49

2nd Speed Day

I'm tired and sore and I'm gonna post this quick because I want to soak in the cold water pool before my hubby and baby get home. I also need to eat.

3 part speed workout today: 3 @ Goal pace -> 5 x 800s -> 3 @ Tempo pace
Started with 1.25 warm up to the gym
A) 3 miles @ 8:16 pace (24:50) on "hill" program. 8 minutes total uphill time. Inclines were 3.8, 4.9, 6 & 7.1.
3-4 minutes recovery brisk walk

B) The 800s
1. 1/2 mile, 4% incline, 4:01
2:30 recovery brisk walk

2. 1/2 mile, 0% incline, 3:27
2:30 recovery brisk walk

3. 1/2 mile, 4%, 4:04
2:30 recovery

4. 1/2 mile, 0%, 3;26
2:30 recovery

5. 1/2 mile, 4%, 4:01
3.5 to 4 minutes recovery brisk walk

C) 3 miles @ 7:18 pace (21:55)
Followed by 1.25 mile cool down home

I need to figure out how to push it harder than that on race days. I think I'm racing my workouts too much, and not racing my races enough. I have to knock that off if I'm going to race faster, win age groups more, and improve my times. God help me.

Combined with the recovery distances my TOTAL MILES: 12.5
YESTERDAY'S MILES: 5

Valentine's Day, Recovery 4 Miler & CrossFit

Happy Valentine's Day! My husband took me for a coffee date and I had my favorite quiche with good coffee. He's so sweet!

During the baby's nap, I went for a recovery 4 mile run. It felt good. The top of my left foot was feeling a little sore, almost swollen, but wearing the Asics Cumulus today was a BIG help. I think the lactic acid worked its way out during the run.

After the run while the baby was still napping, I was able to do a modified CrossFit WOD. It consisted of Hand Stand Push Ups and Jumping Pull-ups (instead of L-Pull ups which I can't yet do). I also threw in some Overhead Squats for loosening up. Mikey got a couple of pictures of me doing the Hand Stand Push Ups. DO NOT LAUGH! I did my best. You can see that I still need to use the gate to balance on.

Ready, set...

...push!







TOTAL MILES: 4

P.S. Read the Quote of the Day. It's a good one!

Speed Intervals At the Track

I am freezing right now as I type this because I just got out of the crazy cold pool. Brrrrr, I'm literally shivering even though I'm bundled up in 2 sweatshirts and a sweater, warm sweats, thick socks and a wool beanie.

Anyway, I was very excited to run today after 2 days off. I did a V02 workout at the track. I can definitely tell the difference when I run mile repeats prior to 800s versus doing the goal pace run prior to 800s. I was a lot slower w/ the 800s today than I am when I start out with goal pace miles.

1 mile warm up followed by 4 x 100 strides.
2 x 1 mile repeats: 6:48 w/ 3-1/2 minutes recovery, then 6:43 w/ 3-1/2 minutes recovery.
4 x 800: 3:14, 3:21, 3:18, 3:17. 2-1/2 minutes recovery between.
Without a doubt the 2 middle 800s were toughest on me. I was feeling tired and the top of my left foot was feeling a little weird. (I think I need inserts in the Asics Speedstars). By the end of those 800s my left hamstring was also feeling tight.
2 x 1 mile repeats: 6:50 (I was surprised because I ran this in lane #2), and then 6:54. During that last mile repeat I was getting stiff and I could tell my gait was a little off because of the left foot and hamstring issues.
1 mile cool down.

The workout was HARD. It felt good to walk the recovery laps. I really talked to God again during and between intervals. I kept asking for His will to be done and to give me strength to go with His plan. I was thankful because He kept me going!

My legs were throbbing when I got home so as soon as I could, I stood waist deep in the pool for 15 minutes instead of the usual 10. I'm going to stretch when I put the baby down for a nap. I'll take 2 "recovery run" days, tomorrow and Thursday, and then ramp up the speed again with the Tempo workouts on Friday.

Time to do housework!
I hope you all have a great day!
TOTAL MILES: 9.5

Almost Recovered & Feeling Like a Girly Girl

I'm feeling so much better today. After polling many different runners, they came back with the same recommendation: skip the 16 miler this week, take Monday as a rest day like usual, and proceed with my training schedule as I normally would on Tuesday. The consensus was that one missed training run would not adversely affect my marathon training at this point. As a running addict it was hard to accept that advice, but I'm glad I did because I feel almost 100% today!

So I'm going to talk about Katherine Switzer and RunningSkirts! Katherine Switzer was the first woman to ever run the Boston Marathon with an official number.

(Photo courtesy of AP Worldwide from KatherineSwitzer.com)

In 1967 she registered as K. Switzer (smart gal), and at approximately Mile 5 she was practically assaulted by race organizers as they rushed her in an attempt to tear her number off her body. Her boyfriend at the time protected her by tackling the race organizers and knocking them to the ground. Who said chivalry was dead? She finished that race quite shaken, but she finished! She went on to run many more marathons and she paved the way for gals like me who just wanna run and race!


In the book I'm reading, 26 Miles to Boston, there are some great photos of Katherine running in her 3rd Boston Marathon wearing a tennis dress. She looked strong, feminine, athletic, beautiful, all at once. I looked at the picture and thought, "You go girl!" Who said running skirts were lame? Those women have never run in one! My favorite skirt is from RunningSkirts.com. I have the link all over my blog site in case you hadn't noticed. :)


I've tried other brands and returned them because either the material felt cheap or the skirt was frumpy and baggy. What I like about RunningSkirts brand is the fabric is high quality and wicks moisture away. The seams are reversed so there is no chafing which causes raw skin, and there is no bunching between the upper thighs as there usually is with shorts. There are built in bottoms that don't creep up at all while you run, everything stays put! What I like about that is I don't have to mess with tugging here or pulling there while I run, I can just run. And you know what, they're darn cute! I have a feeling the pioneer in women's marathon running, Katherine Switzer, would give a thumbs up for running skirts (no matter what brand).


This is me crossing the finish in my running skirt. I'll be wearing one in Boston too.

Run on and run strong!

Sicker Than a Dog

A short time after my run yesterday morning, I started to feel a little off. Some dizziness, nausea and diarrhea (sorry it that's too much info). I was able to eat, but nothing tasted good, and then it went right through me. I was still feeling okay despite the diarrhea, so I decided to go ahead with the Cross Fit WOD. It took me about 20 minutes, minus the towel pull ups that I was going to sub in for the rope climb. (I'm a weakling)! Anyway, about 5 minutes after I was finished with the workout, I was DONE. I felt achiness all over my body from deep inside. My joints ached, my body tingled with weird pain, but not workout-type pain. It was like I was getting mastitis again, but without a fever. I was pretty much knocked out for the rest of the day. I called my husband at work and cried in pain. He felt so bad and wanted to come home, but for what? To babysit me? By the time he would've gotten home all the kids would already be asleep in bed. The kids were so sweet and helpful and went to bed right at 8:00 p.m. so that I could get to sleep too. I feel better this morning, but definitely not good enough to go out there and run. I had a 16 miler with a Fast Finish scheduled today, but I'm going to have to bag it for a day or two. Sometimes I just have to remember that I'm human and I can get sick just like the rest of the world. I guess this is God's way of telling me to slow down a little and rest. Maybe he's reminding me to stay humble and that I can't always be super mom, super wife, super volunteer, super runner, etc. Okay God, I've heard you loud and clear. Thank you! I love you!

Weekly Mileage: 32.6 (no long run yet)

5 A.M. Run in the Rain

The baby was my alarm clock. He got up at 4:30 and I nursed him like usual. By 4:50 I was getting my running clothes on. After I sneaked a kiss to my sleeping husband, I took a deep breath and said to myself, "Let's git 'er done."

It was 5:00 a.m. when I stepped onto the porch. The rain was coming down but as I locked the door I felt a little excitement, as though I was about to head out on an adventure. I haven't run at 5 a.m. for almost 2-1/2 years. I hadn't had coffee yet, just a few sips of water. It was very dark. If it weren't for the street lights and the kind neighbors who leave their porch and driveway lights on, it would've made for a cancelled run.

Turns out it was just fine. I saw three cars drive by on the major streets, but I was running through the more residential areas. At 5:15 I heard my neighbor's rooster crow. I smiled. Aaaaah, "good morning" said the old fashioned way. I love it. When you run alone in the dark, you tend to be on HIGH ALERT status. At least I was this morning. My eyes did not stop scanning my surroundings for a second. I also carried some protection and I'll leave it at that. But alas, I live in a peaceful and safe neighborhood, thank God. Still, you never know who might be coming through the neighborhood and it's best to be prepared.

I finished the 3.2 mile run at a 9:13 pace. Came home and made coffee, which I am now sipping. Hubby is off to work and the kids are sound asleep. I'm going to have a nice, hot shower before getting on with the day.

CrossFit Workout of the Day (WOD) is:
For time do -
50 - 20" box jumps
5 - Rope climbs
50 - Kettle bell swings
50 - Sit Ups
50 - Dumb bell hang power cleans
800 meter run (I'm skipping this)
50 - Back extensions

I will do it but improvise on the kettle bell (use a dumb bell), and the rope climb (use a towel hanging over the pull up bar). For box jumps I'm going to jump my stairs, and for back extensions I'll use the floor. I can't wait. I love these workouts! Don't forget to see the CrossFit "exercises" page for clarification.

As I finish this post, I hear the rain coming down HARD. So glad I got out there this morning, but I prefer running with sunlight.
TOTAL MILES: 3.2

Virtual Hill Running...Again

Today I hit the "hills" on a treadmill. Wasn't able to drive to my parent's house to run their hills due to everybody being sick this week. I have 10 miles on tap along with a warm up and cool down. I'm going to try running the first 5 at a decline and then work on uphills for the last 5, to mimic Boston's course, which is slightly downhill for about 16 miles, slightly uphill for about 4-5, then flat to the finish. I'll post the mileage after it's done.

I'll also be teaching Just Run today at the kid's school. I taught my son's class on Tuesday and talk about ENERGY! I love hearing the kids say, "Can we run faster? Can we race? Can we run some more?" Yes, yes, and yes.

Have a nice day!

After Run Update:
Okay, knocked the run out as planned.
1.5 mile warm up, 5 miles at 0 incline @ 8:00 pace, 5 miles with hills @ 8:30 pace, 1 mile cool down.
The hills were run for 1/4 mile each (about 2 minutes 15 seconds each) at an 8:34 pace with a 2-1/2 to 3 minute recovery run between. Did 4%, 5%, 5.5%, 6%, and 7%.
The last 1-1/2 to 2 miles were run between 8:05 and 8:12 pace.
I think the most difficult part of the run was the last 2 miles. My legs were getting tired and the top of my left foot HURT. I have to look that up and see what it is.

Teaching the kids was fun today. They ran very well and earned a penny per lap. They were happy about that. One of them said, "Wow, I'm getting paid to run these laps!" Hmmm, do we have some future "elite professional" runners in the group? :)

TOTAL MILES: 12.5

Recovery Before Rain Day

I was going to do a "double" today and run 6 miles recovery in the morning and then an additional 3-4 miles easy in the afternoon. Well, the baby and I got the 6 miler done before noon (9:00 pace), but after he woke from his nap it was raining and still is. I don't have a rain cover for the jogging stroller, so in good conscience I can't run in the rain with the baby. I guess it's time to order a rain cover! Surprisingly the 6 miles felt good after yesterday's speed work. Tomorrow it's hills on the treadmill, about 12 miles worth. Woopeeeee. ;)

On a different note, the baby has a touch of what my husband had for the last few days. Some vomiting and diarrhea. Poor little guy. He's in good spirits though, and playing a lot when he's not puking or filling his diaper! I hope he gets better soon.

TOTAL MILES: 6

The Weekly Speed Workout

It was hard to get out there today. I procrastinated as long as I could and at about Noon, the rain started to fall and I knew I had to get out there and run. I'm glad I did! I used my new running shoes today, ASICS Gel-Speedstars. AWESOME, AWESOME shoe. I'm so glad I bought them. Very lightweight and very supportive. I can't wait to race in them.

Every week you'll see this same workout. Next week I'll add 2 more .63 mile repeats. Eventually I'll be doing 8-10 half-mile repeats in between the goal pace and tempo pace runs.

Today's speed work:
1 mile warm up, easy pace
3.11 miles @ 8:20 pace.
4 x .63 mile loop 4:04, 4:02, 4:01, 4:02 (the splits at the half mile were 3:06, 3:09, 3:04, 3:05).
3.28 miles at 23:37 (avg 7:12 pace)--> (1st tempo mile @ 7:05, middle 1.28 miles @ 7:26, 3rd @ 7:00).
1 mile cool down, recovery pace

I feel stronger. Yes, the workout was hard but it felt good doing it. Running is so MENTAL. I guess I'm a mental case. ;) But really, you have to talk yourself through those tough runs. You've gotta pray to God for help to get through them. You've gotta push yourself to improve. And you WILL improve, God willing!

Time to stretch and then hang with the family. My favorite!!!
TOTAL MILES: 10.9

6 Weird Things About Me

I was tagged last week by fellow blogger, Bob Gentile. As promised, I must list 6 weird things about me with the hope of inspiring others to come clean about their weirdness. Maybe what we consider weird might be considered quite normal by others. I doubt it! ;)

1. When I'm standing, I can't stand still. I find myself swaying left to right like I do when I'm holding my baby son. I guess it's a mom thing, but when I catch myself doing it I think it must look strange.

2. I hate to grocery shop. I will improvise with all kinds of weird foods left in my pantry or fridge JUST so I don't have to grocery shop. Ask my husband and kids. My former college roommate can attest that once I ate Stove Top Stuffing with salsa as a full meal. I basically go food shopping when we are out of things to improvise with.

3. I will run for hours without stopping, but I will spend just as much time driving around for a parking spot so I don't have to walk far from the car to the store. I don't know if that's weird or just plain lazy.

4. I have been known to go my entire 3 days off from work without showering... eeeeewww!

5. I like the way my baby son's drool smells when he wakes from his naps. Another eeeeeewww!

6. When getting ready to run a race, I will actually put on make-up. Powder, eyeshadow, liner, mascara, even lipstick. Maybe it gives me a little confidence boost for the race. Anyway, who couldn't use a little confidence boost on race day?

What is "weird" about you?

A Sick Day & A Question: What Motivates You to Run?

Spent our anniversary yesterday taking care of Mikey. He caught a very bad flu bug and you know what that entails, lots of trips to the bathroom. This morning he's a little better, but still weak. I hate seeing him feel so bad. Then the baby woke up screaming. He's got a temp of 102.8! Poor little guy. My daughter is healthy for now (thank God), and my older son has a cold, but he's okay. I think I'm ok right now, just tired from broken sleep. Needless to say, probably no run for me today. I was supposed to do speedwork and hate to put it off, but I'll survive another day without running. I think. ;)

We runners often ask one another what motivates us to keep running? What do we think about to get us out there and run already? Every now and then I have to ask myself that question. Today is one of those days.

Primarily I run because it makes me feel good all the way around. Here are a few other motivators.

1. I love a challenge and we all know running challenges us to constantly improve upon ourselves in many ways.

2. Running is a God given gift, and without the good grace of God I would not be able to run.

3. I think about all the people in the world who can't run because of serious illness or physical disability. People who want to run more than anything but physically cannot. I run with them in mind. Although I may not know them personally, their spirits lift me as I run.

4. It's something that makes my kids proud of me. It's something we can do together. It sets a good example for them, and they are so happy when I run with them (as am I).

5. Running hard keeps me in better shape (hopefully) than the bad guys. I always want to be in better shape than the bad guys!

6. Other runners motivate and inspire me to run! I love hearing about other runners' successes! It pumps me up.

Have a healthy day everyone.

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

It's our 2nd anniversary today! Thanks darlin' for being the most wonderful husband and father. You take my breath away.
Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

I love you always.

You are so handsome.

The best day ever!

Super Bowl 14 Mile Day

We went to church this morning and it was a madhouse. I think everybody went early today so they wouldn't miss any part of the Super Bowl, which they would if they went to the evening mass. The baby is getting wiggly and pretty soon he's going to want to crawl around the children's "crying" room. He's not happy being held for a long time now.

After mass I went for the scheduled 14 mile run. The sun was bright and the weather perfect. The first 4 miles I ran in 37:15 (9:18 pace), the 2nd 4 miles I ran in 35:56 (8:58 pace, and the last 6 miles I ran in 51:00 (8:30 pace). The entire 14 was finished in 2:03:55 for an overall pace of 8:51. Somewhere around Mile 10 I felt nauseous and queasy, but it passed.

When I came home, Mike, the kids and I ran/walked 1 mile together. My older son has a little cold so he was tired, but he did it. My daughter ran the whole way. She's a little animal. Mike went out and sprinted around the neighborhood after we all got back.

My feet, ankles and knees are sore. I need to start taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin everyday. I'm old. Time to stand in the cold pool and then shower and lay low for the Super Bowl.


Just a LITTLE cold in that pool... brrrrrrrrrrr.

TOTAL MILES: 15
Weekly Total: 45.8

The Kids' Boot Camp

After I did the newbies version of pull-ups (10 sets of 10 w/ jump assist), dips (5 sets of 10) and sit-ups (3 sets of 25), the kids took me through their "obstacle" course while the baby napped. Oh my gosh, we had a lot of fun! The kids were so happy to be out there making me follow their lead. I was happy to oblige, although I couldn't do a few things they could. Monkey bars are still hard for me. I had to drop after two! That's one reason I'm trying to do upper body work. And there was no way I was going to be able to pull my legs up to the straight bar in order to hang upside down. My abs are still too weak. So you see, the crazy crossfit routines I try to do are for the simple fact that they will hopefully give me strength to play with my kids. They are such beautiful, sweet children! I wish Mikey was here to play with us. He would've been able to do everything (that stinker)!

Rest Day Spiked w/ Pull-ups & Dips

Have I mentioned I love CrossFit? I'm still so new at it but I KNOW it has made me stronger already. The more I do it, the better I feel. When I feel good, I think I'm more patient with the kids, I'm more loving toward my husband and more kind to strangers. When I feel good, the world seems like a better place! How silly that sounds, but so true in my heart.

Today is a rest day from running and I was going to do NOTHING (except watch the XTERRA race that Bob Gentile told me about). Not only will I watch that for additional motivation, but I will do the CrossFit WOD. I CAN'T do Muscle Ups (that might take years), so I'll be substituting kipping pull-ups (I still need to use a platform underneath to assist me), and dips. The workout calls for 120 of each, I'll do my darndest and will HAVE to break them down into sets. Between you and me, I'm shooting for 75 of each. Shhhhh!

Here's an awesome picture of the gals at CrossFit headquarters, mid pull-up. (Picture courtesy of the CrossFit website). They can do upwards of 30-50 in one shot! Talk about STRONG. And they are MOMS too. I love it. If you want to read about a runner and CrossFit instructor, see Shari's blog. She one of the motivators for me to run and be fit, and she's 2nd from the right in the picture.
Enjoy your Saturday!

Goal Pace/ 800s/ Tempo Day

OOOOOOHH do I HUUUUUUURRRT BAAAAAAAD.

Here it is fellow runners:
1 mile warm up, easy pace
3.11 miles at 24:54 (8:00 pace), a little faster than marathon Goal Pace.
4 x .63 mile loop 3:59, 4:02, 4:03, 4:04 (avg. mile paces 6:19, 6:24, 6:25, 6:27).
3.28 miles at 24:00 (7:19 mile pace), a little faster than tempo.
1 mile cool down, recovery pace

What a week of hard work! I'm ready for BIG rest day tomorrow before the long run on Sunday. Time to get ready to teach the kids how to JUST RUN! Can't wait.

TOTAL MILES: 10.9

Easy 45-60 Minute Run & CrossFit

Haven't gotten out there to run yet, but will after the baby's nap. He's going to be my running partner today. We're going for an easy 45-60 minute run at a relaxed pace. Then during his next nap, I'm going to do the CrossFit WOD. Three rounds of thrusters and pull-ups for time, 21 reps each, then 15 each, then 9. I love those workouts! Although the weight I'll be using for the thrusters is very light because I haven't gotten a barbell yet, and I don't want to take the baby to the gym.

Not much to post today. Tomorrow will be the tough speed & tempo run, and I'll get to lead my daughter's class in the Just Run program again. :)

I'll log today's total miles a little later.

Okay, did the run and the CF WOD. Never fails, I always feel a little "wobbly" after those CF workouts! But it's a good wobbly I guess.
TOTAL MILES: 5.9